The American Supreme Court has ruled that universities can take racial background into account when admitting new students.
However, the court has stopped the University of Michigan from giving black and Hispanic applicants extra points towards admission - saying that the policy was too broad to be constitutional.
The rulings centred on a case brought by three white students whose applications for places at the university - one of them in the graduate law school - were turned down.
Their case was backed by President George Bush, who called the Michigan admission plan "divisive, unfair, and impossible to square with the US Constitution."
Should universities favour 'diversity'? Or should racial quotas play no part in university admissions? Has affirmative action had its day?
This debate is now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.
The following comments reflect the balance of views we have received:
There is always plenty of money to build prisons, but never any to improve inner city conditions
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Affirmative action has been in existence for 25 years. We now hear commentators say that it may need to be around for another 25 years. The main cause of the problem is poor education for lower socio-economic groups, although racism is still around. However, affirmative action is used as a band-aid so that underlying causes don't have to be addressed, and with affirmative action, probably never will be. There is always plenty of money to build prisons, but never any to improve inner city conditions.
Terry, USA
What does a person's background has to do with having enough motivation to pick up a book to study?
Russell,
USA
There are no affirmative action exams or classes at university level
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Until all schools are equal in the US, offering the same quality of education, the same curriculum, and the same resources, these types of programmes will be necessary to level the playing fields for students who grow up in economically disadvantaged areas (without regard to race). However, the reality is that most students in these areas are minority students.
It is also ridiculous to assume that these students are not qualified simply because their backgrounds did not afford them the same advantages as those living in more privileged areas.
There are no affirmative action exams or classes at university level.
People admitted into universities through these programmes still have to perform at the same level, taking the same courses and exams as everyone else.
Kim,
USA
No matter how you justify or sugar-coat it, affirmative action is reverse discrimination, pure and simple. I would be very wary of hiring a black or Hispanic student if I felt that some received extra points towards university admission because of their race. I believe many others (not just whites) would react similarly, even though two wrongs don't make a right. One has to feel sorry for the black and Hispanic students at the University of Michigan who were accepted purely on their merits.
Steve, Canada
Although the highest court in the land has ruled in favour of affirmative action, very little change if any, will be in the interest of the disenfranchised minority. This Supreme Court decision converges on the Brown vs Board of Education case, when minority students were allowed to be integrated into all white schools. To date, there are some people who just don't think that the races should integrate. Suffice it to say that laws cannot change our behaviour.
Mike Evans, USA
Using race to sort people is unfair because it is a trait we cannot change. However, universities show preferential treatment to applicants whose parents are alumni or who contribute heavily to the school - factors separate from the student's ability or will. I find it ironic that George W., the beneficiary of one form of advantage, opposes another. As long as the privileged receive priority in admissions through the aforementioned criteria, I think race should be used as a proxy for the underprivileged in admissions decisions.
Greg Francis, Mountain View, Calif, USA
The rulings were about right
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Common sense is the main factor here. We need a nation where the leadership in every field is representative of the nation as a whole, but cannot do it in a way that proclaims representatives of minorities as inadequate people whose accomplishments were driven by quota instead of merit.
The rulings were about right.
George Blank,
USA
The US is either one extreme or the other. I've seen the effects of affirmative action first hand, and there's nothing to say about this policy other than that it lets unqualified candidates into places they simply don't belong.
Jared,
New Jersey, USA
If affirmative action worked, it would have done so by now and all the injustices of 30 years ago would be corrected. Let the most qualified for the position fill the position, regardless of race, colour, creed, or religion. What is so difficult about that?
Trish, USA
As a Hispanic American minority, I find it offensive that the law requires that I be given preference in anything I attempt to pursue such as a job or higher education. I refuse to believe that I'm not good enough to make it on my own without governmental assistance. I don't need Big Brother trying to open doors for me.
Floyd Cantu,
USA
Those who state that admission to university should be based on merit are correct, but do so without attempting to define what "merit" is. Student A is from an upper middle-class family, attended private school, has a GPA of 3.5 and finished bottom of her class. Student B is from a deprived neighbourhood, attended an abysmal high school, achieved a GPA of 3.2, and finished top of her class. Which of these students is the most meritorious? The one with all the advantages who achieved the better GPA but compares badly to her peers? Or the disadvantaged student who achieved a slightly lower GPA but finished ahead of all her peers? The fairest way to approach affirmative action is to judge applicants compared to those who have had similar advantages/disadvantages. This deals with both racial and socio-economic criteria at the same time.
Lucy Morgan,
Wales
The logic behind the system is faulty
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Racial quotas should play no part in the university admissions process.
The logic behind the system is faulty. It acts as if every minority student is poor and comes from a ghetto or some sort of cultural enclave inside "white America". However, being black doesn't equate to being poor. I am a university student, and I know plenty of "minority students" who come from a far more affluent background than I do. They may not be white, but they have had every oppurtunity to succeed that an affluent white person would have had. Furthermore, who says that race alone makes for diversity? There is little difference between an upper class white person and an upper class black person. Where is the diversity? The people who lose out in the end are poor whites, people who are discriminated against due to their race and unfairly competing against minority applicants.
Dan , Garrett County, MD, US
Yes, Affirmative action should be banned. It is a counter-productive method by which establishments (like universities, governments etc.) enable non-committed people to get ahead of those who are willing to work hard.
Affirmative action has never worked - not in developed, nor in developing countries.
Nic, USA
Affirmative action has been part of American life for about two generations having now redressed to a considerable degree the imbalance that existed prior to it's introduction as a result of racial discrimination. America is now a much more heterogenious nation with many more people of other minorities, some of whom are well represented in all walks of American life. Further progress for Blacks should be made by targeting the root causes of low numbers of university students such as the perceived low cultural value for education. Reverse discrimination has become counterproductive tending to divide society along racial lines, not unite it.
Mark, USA
The role of a university is to educate. Whilst a student population which broadly reflects society's ethnicity is desirable, social engineerng is not within the mandate.
Paul, UK
When I am being rushed to a hospital because of a deadly car accident, or in need of legal help, I want the best there is to offer. Not the doctor or lawyer that was educated because of quotas. Our best and brightest need to be given the first chance. If that means the best or brightest is not white, then so be it. White people aren't always the best at everything, and we should not insult the minority community by assuming that they need extra help.
Margaret, USA
All the personal information of an applicant should be kept away from the assessors
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The colour of a person's skin, their gender, religion, sexual orientation and economic background is irrelevant to their academic ability.
Affirmative Action is just as racist as Segregation or Apartheid in that it discriminates against one group of people for the benefit of another! In an application process, all the personal information of an applicant should be kept away from the assessors, that way you will only get people who make the grade without worrying about being labelled racist.
As a gay man, I would be mortified to find out that the only reason I got on a course was because some people decided it needed to meet the x% quota of gay men.
Simon, UK
As a hispanic I have achieved a good job, a good education, some of it through affirmative action but most through my own hard work. However I work with several white persons who just coast along doing as little work as possible, knowing that their white skin gives them a certain protection I will never have. Why don't we confront that form of affirmative action?
Noe, USA
For those who say that college entry should be based solely on merit and leave race out of it, I ask how do they know the minorities would be chosen on merit? They're discriminated against in every other arena of life. Are we supposed to believe that in college admissions it will be somehow different? If I were a smart minority student with excellent grades I would be very worried about my future if there were no Affirmative Action.
Becky, Ohio,USA
As a white middle class citizen I have never had to fight for a good education
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Those people claiming affirmative action is unfair need to take a long and hard look at the themselves. As a white middle class citizen I have never had to fight for a good education. Yes I've worked hard at school but I had all the facilities at my disposal: teachers who cared, supportive parents, financial means. In the USA this is the case for nearly all white students who go to University. A lot of minority students simply do not have these favorable circumstances. If they did, they would be in the same position as us white kids. Affirmative action simply helps them get into college - they still have to work and earn their degree just like anyone else. I go to Penn State and the worst thing about this school is the complete lack of diversity - any where you look all you see are spoiled white upper middle class Americans dressed head to toe in Abercrombie clothing, completely ignornant of the plight of their fellow less fortunate citizens.
RD, USA
I worked at a University and saw white males with excellent grades intentionally excluded from admission because the faculty was worried they couldn't meet their unwritten, non-publicly stated target quota of minorities. "Emergency" meetings were held one year to discuss the problem of too few minority applicants.
College applications should be colour blind. Admissions evaluators shouldn't even know the name or sex of the applicant. What they should look at is potential for academic achievement. Period. That's what college is all about, and education is a privilege, not a right. Everyone should understand that if you consider education as your ticket to getting ahead in this life, you should have to work for it.
BJ, USA
The vote was correct. This is a real way for African Americans to get past injustices of the past.
Becky Foster, USA
I think the Court got it right - race is a legitimate factor, but it cannot be the only one. Schools should also try to ensure geographic and economic diversity in their classes as well as having students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Favouring diversity is not the same things as racial quotas, its more like considering an applicant's extra-curricular activities: does one attribute of a student's background enhance the university community as a whole more than another's? That is a legitimate criterion for admission.
I do feel for people who perceive injury because of these policies, but I believe the greater good is done if we strive to build diversity at every level in our society and one of the best ways to do that is to ensure diversity in higher education.
David, Washington, DC, USA
Affirmative action addresses a symptom, without curing the underlying problem
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Affirmative Action addresses a symptom, without curing the underlying problem. Admittance to university should be entirely meritocratic - if there are insufficient applicants from minority groups, that's a problem for primary and secondary education to address.
John, England
It is rather frustrating to see people compare the basis of affirmative action (AA) with ones height or lack of merit. At the heart of AA is the comparison of "equally qualified" candidates from different racial/socio-economical classes. That is, assuming we want to change the current biased social structure, if all is equal among candidates, why not let the victim of institutional slavery go first? A recent research by one of the big universities showed that individuals with 'typical' African American names are less likely to be hired by companies in spite of their excessive qualification.
AA, if implemented properly, should increase the number of qualified-minority students/professionals in the U.S.-hence achieve the equality that is preached by all. Also, it is either naiveté or stupidity to talk of a colour-blind society in the U.S. American society is as colour-sensitive as a high-tech camera. Besides, we let athletes get special treatment (even dumb athletes get accepted to top schools). Why not allow a 'qualified' minority student get ahead in a system that holds him/her back?
Banchi,
Ethiopian in U.S
It is patently absurd to base admissions on some skin colour quota rather than on ability.
Steve Blyth, England
By upholding affirmative action, the Supreme Court places every member of a minority group under suspicion of not being academically acceptable but for the fact that they are members of a minority and are therefore entitled to special treatment. This is blatantly wrong.
John J. Procita, USA
I am a white European. Having said that, I believe that affirmative action should be respected for the good of a fairer and more righteous society. Theoretically the proportion of minorities in society should be more or less equal to that of the proportion of minorities in higher education vis a vis whites, which it is not. The answers is years of racial discrimination and taboos. Even more, until affirmative action does not ensure minorities the same proportion in higher education as their proportion in society, weak affirmative action programs still benefit the white non minorities that seem so against them.
Frank, USA
Singling out ethnic groups inevitably means discriminating others
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Affirmative action is wrong. Singling out ethnic groups inevitably means discriminating others. Call it racism, discrimination or affirmative action - it won't solve the problem with tensions between Americans, it will just increase the need for new ways to look at the nation. Nowhere else in a Western country do people in all seriousness define themselves as Caucasian, Hispanic etc.
Kerstin Carlsson, Sweden
Yet another example of Americans absurd belief that every problem has a legal remedy.
Robert, Switzerland
Affirmative action should be replaced by socio-economic scoring to ensure that those from disadvantaged backgrounds, whatever their race, are given the same helping hand the more fortunate receive from their background.
Andrew Bartlett,
UK
I find it vaguely amusing that white American citizens can be outraged by this 'racism' - until they have suffered it for a good couple of centuries they have NO IDEA how deep it can permeate, and how permanent that permeation can be.
Matt, UK
People should be selected purely on merit. Giving people "special" places on the basis of their skin-colour is offensive and divisive, and should be stopped immediately. Grades, not ethnicity, should be what matters.
David Moran, Scotland/Australia
Considering there are very, very few black students in American universities affirmative action should be defended. Especially since black families tend to be in non graduate professions so earn less.
James Clarke, UK
It is undeniable that the US has a history of racial discrimination extending back to even before the birth of the country. However, the federal government, including the US Supreme Court, took steps to eliminate institutionalized racial discrimination, and the idea of racial discrimination has rightly joined the ranks of ideas which are no longer acceptable in a modern society.
Affirmative action is nothing but reverse discrimination and fosters justified resentment in those groups which are not the beneficiaries, since they are adversely affected by it in situations such as when school admissions slots are limited. The solution to racism is to remove all forms of it, not to institute legal alterations to somehow compensate for what happened in the past. I should not pay for the sins of my ancestors.
Andrew Rush, Japan
I am a white student quickly approaching college. Affirmative action is extremely racist. All other criterion considered equal, race will be the deciding factor. I am sure that the dream of Dr. MLK was a colour-blind society, where race determines absolutely nothing.
Many say this is unrealistic, but how many claimed voting rights for women and African-Americans was unrealistic a century ago?
Bob, USA
Until the roots of racism are addressed, affirmative action should stay
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It's shocking to see people against affirmative action. I admit it's flawed but what other solution do people have? Let me give it to you as I have seen it... I am Asian-American and have had the privilege to grow up in an all-white upper-middle class most of my life and it's clear that the majority of these white kids will get to the college of their choice (if not 2nd, 3rd). They don't deserve their privileges any more than the inner-city kids I've met here at college deserve their hard knocks. People can say racism is over all they want but I lived with it first hand, listened to my friends joke about minorities in every possible way, with the most vulgar of languages. There is a serious institutional problem in this country and until the roots of racism are addressed, affirmative action should stay.
David, United States
I'm 15 and have a 4.0 Grade Point Average and hopes of going to a good college. I work very hard and also played on my school's varsity soccer team this year as a freshman. I do not want to not make it into a college just because I'm a specific race. That's racism. I consider myself not white or Hispanic or black but AMERICAN and that's what should be looked at.
Josh House,
United States
Consider affirmative action this way. Shorter than average males of any ethnicity do not fare as well as taller males. Should programs be put in place to give those who are under the average height which is currently a little under 5'10" preferential treatment over those who are taller than average? If we want to help a group which is lagging we should raise them up rather than lower all others. If the issue is higher education what we should do is give those who are qualified scholarships and other forms of financial aid. Discriminating against non-minorities does nothing other than raise animosity toward the minority groups which benefit from discrimination. Haven't we learned anything from the harm done to our social cohesion by the historical discrimination against minorities? Two wrongs do not make a right!!!
Phil, USA
Universities must not ban affirmative action. Instead, the universities must strive harder in promoting it. As much as we (the Americans) may desire to convince the rest of the world that the American system is colour-blind, the reality is that racism is embedded in the system and it is there to stay. Therefore, the minorities, must be given continued protection if diversity must be maintained. This protection must be extended to the educational institutions as well as the workplace.
Mwaura Mwmbu, California, USA
Nothing should be based on race when it comes to Education
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Nothing should be based on race when it comes to Education, everything should be based on Merit, and those who strive to achieve should be rewarded for their hard work, what kind of world are we coming to when people actually believe that special privileges should be granted to minorities just because of the assumption that they are discriminated against otherwise. Come on people, lets grow up.
Wes,
USA
Affirmative action was designed to level the proverbial playing field. Before we say its wrong, we must ask ourselves the question whether everyone applying to university has an equal chance (ie are the facilities in their respective high schools the same). I think we all know this is not true. Until there is a semblance of a level playing field in the US, affirmative action must continue.
Neelan, American living in Australia
No I don't believe we should ban affirmative action. And my reasoning is quite simple, when we allow others points for admissions, whether it be sports, academic, or alumni. I was really surprised that our dear President, for all his concern of fairness, was not in favour of abolishing the whole point system for everyone. But since he has benefited himself, from his college days.(George Bush Sr. Yale University Alumni) Not by race of course.
Brian, USA
Personally I think all appointments and considerations for any position should be done on merit. We all need to strive for a non racial non sexist society. It is also up to the people who are making the decisions that need to be trained to strive for this.
NOLA ELLIOTT, South Africa
Unless we are to believe that people's ancestors should earn them extra credit in school, affirmative action is a ridiculous idea
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Believe it or not, the black students in question are generally part of the same culture as the white students. Anglo-American culture permeates all ethnic groups within one or two generations, regardless of their original backgrounds. So unless we are to believe that people's ancestors should earn them extra credit in school, affirmative action is a ridiculous idea.
Jesse Holmes, USA
Since a higher proportion of people from Chinese and Japanese backgrounds get into universities should white students be given a slight advantage over these groups when applying? Also, where in Europe does one draw the line seeking to establish if a 'white' person is 'Hispanic' or 'pure white'? Attempts to correct imbalances in opportunity owing to birth and background are laudable, but to make race the criteria is crude, inaccurate and divisive.
Sebastian, Japan
Affirmative action is no different than other forms of racial and sexual discrimination.
Keith Smith, Canada
I teach in Chicago, IL and most of my students are Latino, South Asian, and African American. They are dedicated, responsible, smart, and study very hard. Affirmative Action is necessary for diversity in our universities, work places, and government, as well as to prevent a major racial civil war in the United States.
Sarah Osgood, United States
An affirmative action program based on purely socio-economic criteria is certainly the best solution. An overwhelming majority of "minorities" (as opposed to whites) will be represented if this is implemented, as poor and lower class whites generally have the least bit interest in attending college, and prefer trades, etc.. Also, there would be much less of a stigma unfairly attached to the legitimately qualified "minority" students.
Kevin, us
I have graduated from University of Michigan and still live in Ann Arbor. All I have to say is that when an institution creates an environment meant to help people of a specific colour skin, it makes it worse for those people. Because once they are in the institution that they did not work to get into, people assume they are not qualified to be there based on the colour of their skin. Racism does not cure Racism. I am sick and tired of people defining fair as "only if you're a minority".
brook,
USA
The days of affirmative action are long over and it really should be abolished
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The days of affirmative action are long over and it really should be abolished. This country has always had a problem with racial issues and in an attempt to prove the words of our Constitution, “All men are created equal”, was not simply a pipe dream of the founding fathers, they pushed affirmative action. Its impact and importance cannot be stressed strongly enough and it was a valid avenue to force segregated institutions to integrate, but what has occurred in the intervening years is reverse discrimination. Why should I as a white woman be penalized simply because of the colour of my skin? Entry into college should always be based on merit, not race, colour or creed.
Marcella,
USA
No ban on Affirmative Action. We are barely 40 years past LEGISLATED voting rights protections in this country. Even though Brown v. Board of Education (permitting equal access to education) was 50 years ago, many desegregation efforts continue today. The idea that powerful racist, separatist individuals no longer exist to block people of colour from access to education is a myth. Until they die off, we need Affirmative Action.
Rob, USA
I come from a middle sized, white, Christian, conservative town nicknamed "The Bubble". I can think of two Jewish families and one Muslim family that live in my town, but other cultures were never talked about in my town simply because they weren't around. Two years ago I was accepted into the University of Michigan- what a world of a difference! I'm a Near Eastern Studies major, and what I have learned in the past two years simply cannot be found without Ann Arbour's student body. Granted, would I still support affirmative action if I hadn't gotten in? Probably not. But, this is my overall stance: affirmative action isn't fair to everyone, but it's more fair than having no system at all. When people say "money should be put towards Detroit's public schools, where the root of the problem is," I tell them to get real and think of a realistic solution. There will always be horrible school districts, let's just try to do what we can where we can.
Kelly Holden,
US
Any form of preferential treatment in modern society is wrong. Affirmative action allows the liberals in America to "feel good" towards correcting the perceived sins of the past. What is ironic is that it keeps those who benefit from the treatment in a cycle of segregation. This country was created on diversity and we should embrace it and move forward without any special treatments.
John,
USA
Were there perfect equality of opportunity in America, then there would be no need for Affirmative Action
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Affirmative Action was put into place to address the socioeconomic inequities that have long plagued this country. Were there perfect equality of opportunity in America, then there would be absolutely no need whatsoever for Affirmative Action.
The problem is essentially that minorities achieved legal equality only in 1967 with the passage of the Civil Rights Amendment. Current university-age persons are therefore only about two generations removed from a period in which inequality in schools, social benefits, and voting rights were the norm.
Perhaps affirmative action should be less focused on race than on economic wellbeing. Maybe this would be the way to square the circle. It may not, however, end the perception that certain segments of the population are given preferential treatment due to race. This is a problem with no simple solution.
Doug Lyons, USA
I feel that by still acknowledging diversity, racism will persist. Enough with the forms asking what race/colour you are, by acknowledging race as a factor in anything, you are further perpetuating racism.
Sean,
US
I support affirmative action, but one has to wonder why a rich black student who attended the best schools would get "extra points" while a poor white student from an inferior school would not. There is a real and measurable difference between white and black household incomes in the US. Affirmative Action addresses this, which is a good thing, but it does not address the needs of poor white kids. Who's looking out for them? Perhaps affirmative action should be more income-based than race-based.
Shawn, Washington, DC, USA
Although I am a Filipino American female, I believe affirmative action should be removed. I am an engineer who rarely studied during college. Most of my classmates were white males who studied extremely hard to receive good grades. The fact is I would have an easier time getting into graduate school based merely on my ethnicity or my gender. This is racism in every sense of the word. I believe receiving benefits based on your racial background is wrong even though I am the one who benefits from it. I know that it is receiving merit for something that is undeserved.
Trish Mahoney,
US
The main beneficiaries of affirmative action are middle and upper class blacks and white women
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Affirmative action is racist and does nothing but stoke racial tensions in America. Statistics show that the main beneficiaries of affirmative action are middle and upper class blacks and white women. Why not simply change the consideration from race to socio-economic? This is just politicking as usual.
Paula, USA
I go to Columbia University, which is one of the seven Ivy League institutions in America, along with Harvard and Yale. I can tell you from first hand experience the school has a large Asian-American representation. This is true for most of America's major universities, including NYU, MIT, Harvard, Stanford and others.
However, I also know that this group is not helped by Affirmative Action because the government feels they are competitive without assistance, regardless of the fact that they were more discriminated that Hispanics (who might have blonde hair, blue eyes, who might be racially white, if not ethnically).
How is this correcting past discrimination, when it seems that it only discriminates against groups that have been successful? Maybe if the government spent more money and resources in improving poor school districts then minority students would be competitive enough on their own merits to get into good schools.
Soreah Sans, USA
There are rich black people and there are rich white people. Just as there are poor black people and poor white people. Therefore, affirmative action is indeed a mild form of racism. I would much prefer a system where kids from poorer backgrounds are preferred.
Shane, Ireland
I find it offensive that so many people in America and England truly believe that racism is dead
Alexei Lalagos,
United States
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I find it offensive that so many people in America and England truly believe that racism is dead. As a white, middle-class male I know that no matter what quotas that help minorities are put into place, I will make it because I have been born into every advantage possible (except for maybe being rich). I cannot say that for my non-white counterparts who routinely are turned down for housing loans, incarcerated at an alarming rate compared to whites, and given the poorer quality schools and tougher neighbourhoods to grow up with. I agree affirmative action should only be temporary but it has been 200 years since the end of slavery and equality is still floating on the horizon. Unless we address the real problems leading to inequality in the first place, we will continue to have these unnatural raw deals, leaving both sides incensed.
Alexei Lalagos,
United States
I believe that if Americans are to be seen as equals in each others eyes, religion, skin colour or economics aside, they must be measured by the same standard when it comes to education. As long as any group of people insist on "extra points" it will be seen as their inability to measure up on their own. I believe affirmative action has outlived it's day and now only serves to demean those it is supposed to assist.
Jen,
USA
I'm black, but I do not support affirmative action as we know it. Perhaps I was somewhat fortunate in that I went to an international school and got my engineering degree in a fairly exclusive white university. Black students must rise to the challenge of doing as well as their white counterparts. In fact, some of the most brilliant pupils (in high school) were black. Being black is not an excuse. But I'd obviously be glad to hire brilliant black engineers because that would help dispel some unpleasant perceptions about blacks in general. However, one needs to consider that most black kids do not have access to the educational facilities that white kids do (i.e. the best schools, access to computers, private tutors, etc), so obviously this counts against them.
Limpho, Cape Town
Affirmative actions is just an inverted discrimination
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This is an absurd for me that somebodys ethnic roots can be taken into account in case of admitting new students to universities. The only significant factors should be a candidate's knowledge and qualifications. The idea of affirmative actions is just an inverted discrimination.
Tomek, Poland
Although it is true that affirmative action as a system is flawed, I challenge opponents to find a better solution - we would all love to hear it. Until we have a government that is capable of and willing to address problems (racism, poverty, etc.) at their roots, affirmative action is necessary...even if it is a necessary evil.
Sarah, USA
As a Hispanic-American, I have been the beneficiary of affirmative action programs in my undergraduate and post-graduate education. While many critics (for the most part white), argue that university admissions and financial assistance should be colour-blind, the unfortunate reality is that American society is not. Applicants to top universities are regularly granted special status because of alumni preferment. Other schools privilege athletes that bring little to the classroom (and in many sports, little economic gain to the university).
Some critics contend that socio-economic status should be employed instead of race or ethnic status for preferment, saying that affirmative action as it stands is racist and divisive. Would preferment based on socio-economic terms not be classist and divisive pitting the rich against the poor? The fact remains that admission to any university be it undergraduate or post-graduate is a fraught and arbitrary process in the US. There will always be some winners and some losers. In this case, affirmative action gives minorities a boost in the admissions process in the interest of creating a larger black and Hispanic middle class. If some white middle and upper class candidates do not gain admission to their preferred school as a result, they will easily find placement at another institution.
Alex B, USA
Getting into university has always been based on irrelevant information. If one wants to argue that race is not a valid point to let a person into school, then it must also be argued that the financial standing or ancestry of an individual is also irrelevant. Therefore the only fair way to remove affirmative action is also to remove finances and alumni relations from any application or interview. As long as financial, alumni, and ancestral criteria remain legitimate, than so will affirmative action.
Paul Barrett, Canada (but English)
Affirmative Action is not a handout
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It's only fair that Universities be allowed to use affirmative action. Minorities have been discriminated against in the US for 100's of years. Affirmative Action is not a handout, it's only a small compensation for years of abuse by the US government. Minorities, who on average come from poorer backgrounds, have to prove they are above, at, or near the same level as white students. The Supreme Court knows the playing field is not level, meaning if left unchecked, whites will dominate the universities.
James Jones,
USA
Like most entitlement programs, Affirmative Action has existed long after it should have served its purpose. Giving the underprivileged a leg up is a worthy endeavour, but extending it to the point where it becomes demanded and expected is a serious disservice to the people it was designed to help. It is the equivalent of social institutionalization and should have weaned away gradually over the years.
Mac, USA
Affirmative action has no place in the US or any other country. At best it promotes those who are less qualified. At worst it advances the incompetent and unmotivated. The net result of affirmative action is that whenever a minority advances, whether it is a university admission or job promotion, their qualifications are questioned.
Jim Ezell, USA
I am a 1999 graduate of the University of Michigan, and I think their "points-based" admissions policy is horribly wrong. When U of M is considering a student, they place as much value in points on minority skin colour as they do on the admissions essay and high school percentile. In other words, if you're an average student with limited writing skills who happens to be black, you stand as good a chance of acceptance as a white student in the top 10% with a perfect essay. Fair? No. Racist? Absolutely.
Richard, USA
The Court's decision was based on a narrow alliance of swing voters
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The Supreme Court's decision today is a huge victory for moderate liberals. Although the SC has stated that affirmative action is OK in determining admissions to public universities, they have struck down the racial quota system that made affirmative action totally unfair. However, the celebrations among supporters of affirmative action must be contained. The Court's decision was based on a narrow alliance of swing voters and the few totally liberal justices on the Court. If one of these justices retires, as is expected sometime soon, and the case comes up again, the outcome could be very different.
Andrew Smith, USA
At last, a sign of common sense making its return. Weighting a system in favour of one or other 'minority group' is discriminatory, and in the case of skin colour or ethnic origin it is clearly racism by any other name. We have become so hypnotised by 'black rights' etc, that we now routinely give the white middle classes an unnaturally raw deal. Education, jobs and everything else should be on the basis of ability, and quotas should be consigned to the dustbin along with racism.
Andrew H, England
Affirmative action, I believe was intended to be a limited duration project to integrate blacks and other minorities into a society that otherwise might have chosen to exclude them. Unfortunately, continued economic disadvantage among blacks, when coupled with a continuing pattern of segregation and self-segregation, and the model of local education control means that affirmative action has not succeeded in "levelling the playing field". I would agree that the best solution is to end the practice of locally organized schools funded by county or town property taxes. Schools should be controlled at the state of federal level, with funding proportional to the schools needs, not surrounding property values.
John,
USA
Discrimination literally means to make a distinction. Any laws that make racial distinctions, whether the Jim Crow laws or Affirmative Action, are clearly discriminatory. Discriminatory laws should be removed from the American legal system, regardless of which race they seemingly benefit.
Kevin Kenjar, United States
Chances of getting into college have more to do with economic background than race or ethnicity
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As a South African residing in the US, I have found myself drawing comparisons between affirmative action and Apartheid-era South Africa, when people were categorized into different racial groups and rewarded/oppressed accordingly. It's common knowledge that most minorities in the US do not fare as well as their white counterparts in schools and colleges. And no one can question that this is a very disturbing trend. But a young person's chances of getting into college have more to do with that person's economic background than their race or ethnicity. So, instead of using race as a criterion for entry into college, how about simply using socio-economic background?
Scott, USA
Affirmative action is just a cover up for the real problems. Nobody believes that Black or Hispanic people are any different from Chinese or white. If there really is a problem of those people not getting enough chances it is not going to be solved through racism. Problems should be handled at the root, although it is easier said than done. And as for the universities I suggest they take an example at the Belgian universities, where a high school diploma and a maximum inscription fee are the only hurdles for an inscription. That is an equal opportunities policy.
Peter Vanparys, Belgium
Somewhere I remember something about "All men are created equal" in the US Constitution. Address the problem not create a solution.
Walter, USA
So giving a white person a place at the expense of a better-qualified black person is racism, but giving a black person a place at the expense of a better-qualified white person is affirmative action? Disgusting. Equality means everyone is treated the same, regardless of skin colour.
John B, UK
Exposure to all walks of life and all cultures can only enrich a student's learning experience
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The US Supreme Court's decision to allow admissions boards to consider race in the selection process, while stopping short of condoning quotas, is a good one. Who could argue that diversity is not a good thing? Exposure to all walks of life and all cultures can only enrich a student's learning experience, but the fact that the Court has to safeguard the use of race in admissions decisions is a tacit acknowledgement that minority students cannot effectively compete with their white counterparts. Any fair-minded person knows this is not a matter of intellect but of opportunity, so society must work to provide all children, including minorities, with the educational tools they need, and this means starting at the very earliest levels of education. It is not enough to reach down and help minorities up the ladder - we must boost them up from day one, just as we boost white children, using all the advantages parents' money can buy.
Chris, US
The assumption that racial diversity brings cultural diversity is extremely flawed and racist. I am white. I have friends of different races who I would consider very similar to me culturally because we grew up in the same area under the same economic circumstances. I have also met people who look very much like me but who are very different culturally. It is racist to look at someone's skin colour and to expect them to act a certain way based on it. But that is what we do when we say that racial diversity is the same as cultural diversity. The poor in the US do need help when it comes to educational opportunities. Universities should set aside a certain number of spots based on economic circumstances or even regional background. Admissions based on race are by definition racist and therefore unfair.
Jim, NJ, USA
In the UK we are not generally familiar with the term 'affirmative action' and have fortunately managed to avoid what it seems to imply. I fear that notions of 'positive discrimination' only serve to cause divisions rather than bridge them and that they inevitably lead to an unequal equality policy. I hope that we manage to maintain our fairly good race relations without this sort of thing in future and that the US can eventually manage to overcome its more serious problems in a fair way - however long it takes.
Ross Johnson, UK
Affirmative action has always been a joke, whether in academia or the workplace. If two applicants are equally qualified, automatic preference is given to one on the basis of race or ethnic background. This is so obviously racist that I cannot believe it has gone on for so long. Let each applicant stand on his or her academic merits. Why should anything else be considered for a university place anyway?
Simon, US
As a white American who could potentially lose out on graduate school admissions based on affirmative action, I must say I am still in favour of it. Certainly my undergraduate education would have been incomplete if I had not been allowed to address and confront my racist upbringing in an African-American studies class. I will gladly give up my seat at a top law school in exchange for a broader understanding of humanity.
John, USA
Affirmative Action has served as a means of avoiding addressing the problems in inner-city and poorer school districts
Sharon Langworthy, Chicago
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Affirmative Action has served as a means of avoiding addressing the problems in inner-city and poorer school districts. If favouritism ensures that minority students, who do not otherwise meet the minimum standard for admittance to competitive colleges and universities, will likely be admitted regardless, why bother taking care of the problem at the elementary, middle and high school levels? America needs to acknowledge that our school system is in poor shape, and fix the problem where it begins. Only then will students from poorer school districts have a chance to flourish at the university level.
Sharon Langworthy, Chicago, IL / USA
The ultimate solution to racial educational disparity in the USA would involve a national, standardized curriculum for all high school students regardless of school district, racial or economic background. As long as conservative forces in the US govt prevent this from being achieved, affirmative action must stay as an unpleasant, unpalatable and indirect means to an essential end.
Jack, USA
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